What it's like to live in Burien
Burien is a smaller city in Washington with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Burien deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Burien compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Burien
Based on Burien's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,564
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,280 a year
- 50% of Burien renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$127,760
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $63,880
- Homes cost 7.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 26% above US
$1,782/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,782 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $638,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $638,800 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 16% above US
5.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
342 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2484/100k · Burien Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% take public transit; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 75°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
19 public schools inside the boundary
There are 19 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park (9 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Burien's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,782/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Burien
All Washington guides →Not sure Burien is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.